This invention relates to display signs of the type simulating neon signs.
Neon display signs, although they have much to commend them, have many known drawbacks among which are their high costs, both initially and for maintenance, their fragility, their negligible visibility when the electric power is off, etc. If they are located where they are exposed to broad daylight, they have a minimum effectiveness, even if the power is on. In an effort to overcome or minimize these drawbacks, display signs have come into use which, although containing no neon tube, are intended to simulate the neon tube signs. These alleviate some of the objections, but diminish some of the virtues of a true neon display. This invention is directed to an imitation type neon display which overcomes or reduces many of the disadvantages of the true neon type display, while minimizing interference with the effectiveness of a true neon type display. It is known in the prior art to use a fluorescent light bulb to transmit light through a display panel that is embossed and painted or printed to simulate a neon tube light. There the embossing introduces objectionable distortion in the light intensity when the sign is viewed at night by the light of the fluorescent tube within the display. Another objection of the prior imitation "neon tube" type displays is that often the fluorescent source of light within the display is visible through the front of the display. The use of a translucent (as distinguished from transparent) panel for the neon-simulating areas of the display causes an undesirable diminution of the light transmitted through those areas. To overcome this by using a fluorescent tube of larger output also increases the cost and, in many instances, causes an increase in heat generation to an undesirable extent.